What can Weatherly bring to the Panthers defense in 2020?
By Dean Jones
Is Weatherly worth the money?
Only time will tell as to whether or not Stephen Weatherly is worthy of the financial investment made by the Carolina Panthers. Given his play over the last two seasons, there is nothing to suggest he is not going to be a big hit with the franchise.
He is still young enough to develop his pass-rushing moves further and having more time on the field is going to be another massive boost. Providing Weatherly is utilized in the right way then the Panthers have a real player on their hands.
It is evident that the current roster is going through a transitional phase, which is to be expected given the departures of high-profile individuals such as Luke Kuechly and Cam Newtown. New players need to bed in and the coronavirus situation is not helping incoming recruits to familiarise themselves with a different environment.
What impact this is going to have on the 2020 season remains to be seen. There is also the prospect of Carolina drafting another defensive lineman with a top-end pick in this year’s NFL Draft. This will add some more energy and freshness to a defense that was exposed on countless occasions last season.
Weatherly was held in high regard by the Minnesota Vikings and deserves to be an NFL starter. His play over the last two seasons has been tremendous and he has made the most of his time on the field when given an opportunity.
If he can keep this same level of consistency up with the Panthers, then it is a win-win situation for all parties.